Devil Trigger

The Devil Trigger is a special technique possessed by demons and half-demons which allows its user to release their demonic side. The user will assume their true, demonic form, and their voice will usually become deeper. In this form, many of the character's attributes are amplified, and the character may have access to upgrades or even additions to their normal abilities. Dante's Devil Trigger form changes throughout the series, though it seems to more strongly resemble his father as the series progresses. In Devil May Cry and Devil May Cry 3, the appearance of the Devil Trigger form is dependent on the Devil Arms the character is wielding at the time of assumption, while in other games the character will possess one or two default forms.

The amount of time the user can stay in this form is determined by the length of the Devil Trigger Gauge, and Devil Trigger cannot be engaged unless the first three runes are filled. The capacity of the Gauge can increased by purchasing Purple Orbs.

The technique is confirmed to be available to Dante, Sparda, Lucia, Trish, Vergil, and Nero. Several other characters, specifically Arkham, Credo, Agnus, and Sanctus, have abilities resembling a Devil Trigger, though it is unknown if this is the same thing. Also, when playing on higher difficulties, enemies may enter a Devil Trigger-like state, making them much stronger and improving their defensive capability.

Abilities while in Devil Trigger


In Devil May Cry 3, both Dante and Vergil can damage nearby enemies with the transformation flux from their Devil Trigger. This flux can be charged by holding down until the chosen number of Devil Trigger runes glow, and then releasing the button. In Devil May Cry 4, Nero may similarly damage enemies by activating Devil Trigger, though he cannot charge this attack.

While in Devil Trigger, the character's speed and strength increase, and they constantly recuperate vitality. Additional effects are apparent, though these vary between games, and are usually determined by the equipped weapons or items. For example, Dante will usually gain the ability to hover while in Devil Trigger, but this is obtained by equipping the Alastor in Devil May Cry, the Aerial Heart in Devil May Cry 2, and the Rebellion or Nevan in Devil May Cry 3.

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Trivia

 * The Devil Trigger forms seen in DMC3 were designed by Kazama Kaneko, a character designer for Atlus who designed the characters for the Shin Megami Tensei series This was in due to having included Dante into said series as Kazama is a big fan of the Devil May Cry series.